Justice League: War World Part Two

Screen Shots

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Episode Credits

Synopsis

Previously in “War World” Part One: An accident while demolishing an asteroid leaves Superman and J’onn J’onzz floating unconscious in space. The plight attracts the attention alien slavers who kidnap them before the rest of the Justice League can respond. Superman awakens to finds himself on War World, a planet where the poor, underfed, unemployed masses are kept placid by the endless spectacle of violent gladiatorial games. Mongul, the charismatic ruler of War World, announces that Superman is to fight his champion, Draaga. Superman refuses to fight for Mongul’s amusement, but its clear that his hold over Draaga is stronger. Superman eventually bests Draaga, however, Mongul orders Superman’s execution after he refuses to kill his vanquished opponent.

Mongul’s robotic security guards bring Superman to his knees, but they aren’t powerful enough to kill him instantly. Mongul enjoys watching the impudent Man of Steel writhe in pain and prepares to have his guards deliver a fatal blow. J’onn J’onzz, who is under cover in the crowds watching the fight, starts a chant in support of Superman. It’s enough to start a ground-swell of support among the crowd in favour of Superman. Even Mongul recognises the danger of executing a popular gladiator and, at least for now, allows Superman to live.

The exhausted Superman and Draaga are teleported back to the gladiator dungeon. The other gladiators cheer Superman  for defying Mongul. They tell him that Draaga once tried to do the same, but was broken by Mongul. The gladiators then tell Superman that they’ve arranged an escape route for him via an off world garbage ship, but the Man of Steel refuses to leave War World without J’onn. He tells the gladiators to put Draaga on the escape ship instead, that way Draaga won’t he executed by Mongul and he won’t be around to try and avenge his defeat by Superman. Draaga’s honour demands that its better to die in combat than be defeated – in his eyes Superman’s mercy has deeply shamed him. The garbage ship dumps Draaga on a remote junkyard world.  He seals an oath of vengeance by branding Superman symbol into his own chest.

Even farther out from War World, Green Lantern and Hawkgirl are squashed into the back of a small space craft that belongs to a smuggler they “convinced” to take them to War World. They are so busy bickering with each other that they don’t notice the smuggler seal their compartment and starts to flood it with a knock out gas. When the come around Hawkgirl and Lantern find themselves dumped on a barren desert world. Lantern confesses that his ring could probably take them into space, but without knowing where they are they risk running out of charge before reaching Earth or War World. They eventually spot the camp site of other castaways and, after a brief fight, ask if anybody knows the way to War World. A voice from the shadows proclaims “You want to find War World? Talk to me!” It’s Draaga. Fortunately for all involved they’ve been all been dumped on the same junkyard world.

On War World, Superman’s symbol has become an icon for resistance, the populace flock to him because he does not fear Mongul. The tyrant has the defiant Superman brought before him. He explains that Draaga once defied him as Superman does, but his secret weapon – a planet destroying cannon pointed at Draaga’s homeworld – kept him in line. Superman retorts that the same demand won’t work on him as Krypton is already gone, but Mongul says it’ll stay pointing at Draaga’s homeworld. Mongul knows that the particular world he threatens is not important as Superman will bow to his demands as long as any inhabited world is threatened. Mongul offers to spare Draaga’s world on the condition that Superman has one last fight. This time Superman will fight Mongul and he has to agree to “lose badly!”

Draaga leads Hawkgirl and Green Lantern to War World, but he avoids questions about why he has a scar on his chest similar to Superman’s emblem. While they’re still above the city Draaga punches Green Lantern, forcing him to drop the force bubble they’re riding in. Hawkgirl dives to catch Lantern, but by the time he’s safe Draaga has run off into the city. Draaga sneaks into the crowd as it gathers for the fight between Mongul and Superman. The combatants are teleported to the battle arena (revealed to be on War World’s moon) and the fight begins immediately. Mongul reminds Superman that a planet’s life depends on his defeat, but Superman clobbers Mongul under the excuse of making their fight look convincing. Draaga sneaks into the teleportation facility and sends himself on to the battle field while they fight.

J’onn J’onzz had spied on the earlier conversation between Superman and Mongul about the secret cannon. He infiltrates the weapon’s station disguised as Mongul and tries to have the weapon decommissioned. The strain of holding Mongul’s shape is too much for J’onn (War World’s atmosphere is still weakening him). He accidentally drops his disguise and fights off the first wave of guards, but soon finds himself pinned down by enemy gunfire. J’onn is saved by the arrival of Green Lantern and Hawkgirl, but the weapon commander responses by beginning the firing sequence that will destroy Draaga’s homeworld. Hawkgirl uses her Thanagarian mace to block the emerging beam causing it to feedback into the cannon. The resulting explosion destroys the facility.

On the battle field, Mongul moves to finish the prone Superman, but he is ambushed by Draaga who then attacks Superman. The Man of Steel tries to explain to Draaga that Mongul is threatening to destroy his homeworld. Draaga is shocked and confused by Superman’s selflessness, but he is knocked down by Mongul before he can respond. Superman and Mongul are then left to finish their mock contest. This time Superman doesn’t fight back and allows Mongul to dominate him. Mongul declares the contest “Game Over!” and for a second time he tries to kill Superman. This time it’s Green Lantern who intervenes with his own quip, “we’re going into overtime”"

J’onn explains to Superman that they’ve destroyed the death ray and that Draaga’s world is safe. Without the cannon Mongul has no hold over either Superman or Draaga. Superman stands aside to allow the Draaga the chance to regain his honour against Mongul. Mongul and Draaga’s fight comes down to good to old-fashioned boxing with the Leaguers forming a ring around them – Green Lantern even coaches Draaga on keeping his defenses up. It’s important for War World that Draaga is seen to defeat Mongul fairly, without the Justice League’s help. Draaga proclaims, “This is for my people, and this is for my humiliation, and this is for Justice!” as he boxes Mongul unconscious. The crowds call for Draaga to finish Mongul, but quietly remarks “No. He doesn’t deserve the honour.” Draaga offers Mongul’s crown to Superman, but he refuses and leaves it, and War World’s future, in Draaga’s hands.

Commentary

Green Lantern and Hawkgirl

In a panel discussion feature included with the Season One DVD set the producers describe how they had written Hawkgirl’s subplot into the Series Bible from the first day and how they had deliberately put out disinformation about her back story. The Series Bible also included the romance subplot between Green Lantern and Hawkgirl – an element that the Producers credit to DC Publisher Paul Levitz.

This story, and in particular the second part, features the start of the awkwardness between Hawkgirl and Green Lantern. They’re stuck together, bickering like a married couple, for most of the episode, but they do work effectively together. Hawkgirl also evades Lantern’s comment about Thanagar. I find it interesting that they represent the two different examples of a professional fighter. Lantern, as the ex-marine, is about control and precision. It’s his job to fight and he’s good at it, but it’s not his first impulse. For him violence is only a means to an end. By comparison, Hawkgirl the warrior, is about ferocity and speed. Her first impulse is to respond with violence. For her a fight can be an end in itself.

The Ending

The Producers discuss the ending of War World on the same Season One DVD panel:

Moderator: Were there any [episodes] that people didn’t respond to?

Bruce Timm: Oh everybody hated War World!

Rich Fogel: The problem with War World all comes down to the end of it.

Bruce Timm: Absolutely!

Rich Fogel: At one time we had Superman kicking everybody’s butt. You [Timm] came in and said we’ve seen Superman kick people’s butt before. Let’s do something different.

Bruce Timm: We probably shouldn’t have had Draaga in the story. [...] that brings up a good point too. Season One, we got called on the carpet for making Superman a wimp. And, guilty <raises hand>, guilty as charged. We didn’t know we were doing it. We were actually using it as a kind of dramatic crutch early on. It’s like “oh hey, if Superman can get taken down right away [it means that] this is a really bad threat, everybody else is in trouble.” We didn’t realise it had become a reoccurring gag until we started getting the internet comments and everybody was saying, “Wait a minute! Why is Superman such a wimp now?” It’s like, “You know there really is a pattern.”

For that matter, does Bruce Timm had a range of actors that play him in these DVD features? He appears quite different in each DVD feature I’ve seen him in (glasses, no glasses, longish hair, short hair, beard, no beard). He’s either a master of disguise or that’s not always the same bloke.

Misc.

• In the comics the Green Lantern Rings link into an extensive database of planets and star systems making it effectively impossible for a Green Lantern to get lost. That obviously isn’t a feature of the DCAU GL rings.
• Normally J’onn J’onzz is almost as powerful as Superman, but that would have made him another strong contender in the Gladiatorial Games. By weakening J’onn the writers remove him from contest leaving the focus on Superman. We are never told what it is in the atmosphere that is weakening J’onn.
• In the publicity at time of broadcast Bruce Timm teased that, “In addition to her regular role as Hawkgirl, Maria Canals does a HILARIOUS unbilled second voice as… well, you’ll see…” I don’t know for sure, but I assume he means the “old woman” who talks to J’onn J’onzz in the crowd of aliens.

Opinion

Highlights

Hawkgirl and Green Lantern’s arguing.

Oddities

How is Hawkgirl’s mace able to deflect a blast capable of decimating an entire world? That things is tough, but planet-destroying-beam tough?

My Thoughts

I quite enjoyed watching this back and the second part is certainly better than I remember. The issue of Superman’s variable strength doesn’t play so heavily as I remembered as it’s made clear by the plot that he’s deliberately not fighting back against Mongul. The ending with Draaga finishing Mongul doesn’t bother me so much, but I would have liked something more from Superman – even if it’s just him warning the other Leaguers to “Say back! This is Draaga’s fight now!” That gladiator dungeon is very Star Wars – I particularly like the dull lighting and the George Lucas style “optical wipes” between scenes.

Superman is a captive for most of both episodes, J’onn is literally powerless, and Hawkgirl got them into this mess in the first place, plus she lands Lantern and herself in trouble with a dodgy contact. So Green Lantern is pretty much the “Man” in this episode. Without Lantern’s ring they’d have had no way to follow Superman and J’onn, its Lantern who saves both both of them at the end, he has to keep Hawkgirl from killing everybody in sight, and he even manages to school a gladiatorial champion in basic boxing technique. There in lies one of the biggest problems with this episode – the Justice League are pretty darn  useless for 99% of the time. They should sack J’onn and hire Draaga.